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never have a Publick-fpirit; for (as a friend of mine fays) how is it poffible for that man to love twen ty thousand people, who never loved one? I communicated your letter to Mr.

C he thinks of you and talks of you as he ought, I mean as I do, and one always thinks that to be juft as it ought. His health and mine are now fo good, that we wish, with all our fouls, you were a witness of it. We never meet but we lament over you: we pay a kind of weekly rites to your memory, where we ftrow flowers of rhetorick, and offer fuch libations to your name as it would be prophane to call Toafting. The Duke of B- -m is fometimes the High Priest of your praises; and upon the whole, I believe there are as few Men that are not forry at your departure, as Women that are; for you know most of your Sex want good fenfe, and therefore must want generofity: You have fo much of both, that I am sure you pardon them; for one cannot but forgive whatever one defpifes For my

part I hate a great many women for your fake; and undervalue all the reft. 'Tis you are to blame, and may God revenge it upon you, with all I 4

thofe

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those bleflings and earthly profperities which the Divines tell us are the cause of our Perdition; for if he makes you happy in this world, I dare truft your own virtue to do it in the other. I am,

Your, &c.

LETTERS

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I

Had pleas'd myself fooner in writing to you, but that I have been your Succeffor in a Fit of Sickness, and am not yet fo much recovered, but that I have thoughts of using your* Phyficians. They are as grave Perfons as any of the Faculty, and (like the Antients) carry their own Medicaments about with them. But indeed the Moderns are fuch Lovers of Raillery, that nothing is grave enough to escape them. Let 'em laugh, but People will ftill have their Opinions: As they think our Doctors Affes to them, we'll think them Affes to our Doctors.

Affes.

I am

I am glad you are so much in a better State of Health, as to follow me to jeft about it. My Concern, when I heard of your Danger, was fo very ferious, that I almost take it ill Dr. Evans fhould tell you of it, or you mention it. I tell you fairly, if you and a few more fuch people were to leave the World, I would not give Sixpence to stay in it.

I am not fo much concern'd as to the point, whether you are to live fat or lean: Moft Men of Wit or Honefty are ufually decreed to live very lean; fo I am inclined to the opinion that 'tis decreed you shall: However be comforted, and reflect that you'll make the better Bufto for it.

'Tis fomething particular in you, not to be fatisfied with fending me your own Books, but to make your Acquaintance continue the Frolick. Mr. Wharton forc'd me to take Gorboduc, which has fince done. me great Credit with several People, as it has done Dryden and Oldham fome Difkindness, in fhewing there is as much difference between their Gorboduc, and this, as between Queen Anne, and King George. It is truly a Scandal, that Men fhould write with Contempt of a Piece which they never once faw, as those two Poets did, who were ignorant even of the Sex, as well as Senfe, of Gorboduc.

Adieu !

Adieu! I am going to forget you: This minute you took up all my mind, the next I fhall think of nothing but the Terms of Agamemnon, and the Recovery of Brifeis. I fhall be Achilles's humble Servant thefe two Months (with the good Leave of all my Friends.) I have no Ambition fo ftrong at prefent, as that noble One of Sir Salathiel Lovel, Recorder of London, to furnish out a decent and plentiful Execution, of Greeks and Trojans----It is not to be expreft how heartily I wish the Death of all Homer's Heroes, one after another. The Lord preferve me in the Day of Battle, which is just approaching! Dear Sir, join in your prayers for me, and know me to be always (whether I live, die, or am damn'd as a Poet.)

Dear Sir,

T

Yours most faithfully.

To the fame.

London March 31, 1718.

O convince you how little pain I give myself, in correfponding with Men of good Nature, and good Underftanding, you fee I omit to answer your Letters till a time, when another Man would be ashamed to own he had received them.

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